


Told You So

by SooperSara



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Book 3: Fire, F/M, Fluff, Hugs, One Shot, Podfic, accidental love confession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26588815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SooperSara/pseuds/SooperSara
Summary: The war hasn't ended yet, but for a moment, everything is just right.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 222
Collections: Zutara Fluff Exchange





	Told You So

**Author's Note:**

  * For [damapintada](https://archiveofourown.org/users/damapintada/gifts).



> ####  [▶ Podfic](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tkqnTeiM8gywDEeMzYlfT0uvafJmNCZk/view?usp=sharing)

The sun is just beginning to peek over the crests of the mountains, casting pale, rosy streaks across the sky when she sees the first sign of movement.

Her heart skips in her chest. She’s been waiting hours for Zuko to emerge from the tent, to hear what happened between him and his uncle. From her place by her friends and their tents, she can’t make out Zuko’s expression, but she almost thinks that the tension has gone out of his shoulders. She thinks he looks happy.

Katara wants to go to him. She wants to meet him halfway and pry for all the details, to find out if everything went as well as she hopes. But she can feel the others nearby, all watching, and she stays in her place. It _has_ to be okay. His uncle _has_ to have forgiven Zuko.

“Hey!” Sokka looks up from sharpening his sword. “Where have you been? I had the tent all to myself. It was _weird.”_

Zuko shrugs, his eyes still averted and his expression inscrutable. “Sorry.”

“I’m not complaining. More room for me.”

Suki shakes her head and gives Sokka’s shoulder a shove. “You could have shared with _someone else_ if Zuko wasn’t there.”

Katara pretends not to hear that. Sokka’s love life isn’t her concern right now. Or hopefully _ever._ Instead, she searches Zuko for any sign of what happened last night. She can find none. He looks the same as ever, and she can’t decide whether that is good or bad.

“How’d it go?” she asks.

Zuko looks up, and his eyes lock with hers. There is warmth in his gaze, and his mouth twitches into the smallest start of a smile.

With a squeal, Katara launches herself to her feet and into his arms. “I knew it, I knew it!” She grips him tight and her face comes to rest against his shoulder. “I knew it would be okay!”

Zuko laughs, small and soft, but so warm, so _happy_ that she could almost burst at the sound. He returns her embrace, arms resting around her waist, hesitant for just a second before they tighten. It feels like he might lift her off the ground and twirl her—and Katara would be perfectly happy with that, she realizes. She would be perfectly happy to stay snug in his embrace for a very long time.

Sokka clears his throat. Then again, louder than before. “Hey! Break it up, you two.”

Zuko loosens his embrace a bit, and Katara wants to kick Sokka for it. Still, she stays close by Zuko’s side, arm looped around his back, her hand resting on his shoulder.

He smiles down at her, and she has never seen him so radiant with happiness before. His smile is small, but his entire face, his entire form is alight. Her stomach flutters and her heart skips. The joy transforms Zuko, and now that she has seen it, she wants nothing more than to bask in it.

“It went okay.” He sounds almost shy, and he shifts a little, apparently unaccustomed to the new lightness. He looks like he doesn’t know what to do with so much relief and happiness filling him up.

Katara reaches up and brushes her hand across his cheek before allowing it to rest on his shoulder. “I told you it would.”

Zuko snorts, and his cheeks flush just a little. “So you’re going to gloat about it now?”

A shrug. “Somebody should.” She squeezes him again. “I’m so happy for you, Zuko.”

Behind her, Sokka gags, and there is a light _thwack_. “Let them have their moment,” Suki admonishes.

“They can have all the moments they want, just not where I can _see_ them.”

Katara turns to tell Sokka off, but before she has a chance, movement from the big tent catches her eye again. This time, the old man has emerged and is heading their way.

She nudges Zuko’s side. “Look,” she says, voice soft and almost breathless.

Zuko turns to follow her gaze, and he brightens. “Uncle!”

The old man reaches them and bows low. Katara returns the gesture as Zuko introduces them all, and from the corner of her eye, she thinks she sees the others do the same.

“It is a great pleasure to meet you at last,” the old general says, nodding to each of them, somehow solemn and smiling all at once. “I have arranged a meal so we might all get better acquainted.”

“Food?” Sokka and Toph perk up simultaneously, and once the general points them in the right direction, they are off in an instant, Sokka dragging Suki along by the hand.

Katara hangs back with Zuko, more than happy to stay clear of the near stampede. She knows better than to get between her friends and breakfast.

The old general looks between her and Zuko, and Katara finally realizes that her arm is still wrapped around his shoulders. Her face flames, and she pulls away to tuck a stray lock of hair away from her face.

The old man gives them a knowing smile and nods to Katara. “I understand I have you to thank for our reunion, Master Katara.”

She blushes and sneaks a glance at Zuko from the corner of her eye.

Before she has to speak, the general clasps her shoulder. “I am forever grateful. For your help in bringing my nephew back to me, and for proving to him how very much he is loved.” His eyes twinkle, and he winks at Zuko. “Don’t be too long. Breakfast won’t last forever.” With that, the old man turns away.

Katara looks up at Zuko again and finds him blushing even brighter than before. He clears his throat. “I told you that my uncle would love you.”

Katara raises an eyebrow. “I don’t think you did.”

“Well, I should have.” He gazes into her eyes for a long moment, the softest smile on his lips. “I think it runs in the family.”

**Author's Note:**

> I basically rewrote this entire thing three times and almost scrapped the entire idea several more times (but didn't because I couldn't think of anything else 😭 Why is fluff difficult? Or, better question, why is _short_ fluff difficult?) before I finally found an ending that I liked. I hope you enjoy it, damapintada!!! And everyone else too!


End file.
